Beeswax
Wax · INCI: Cera Alba
Reviewed by Elysiana Aguilar, master esthetician
How we read it
Clogs pores for some people. Fine for many, worth watching if you're mid-breakout.
Is Beeswax comedogenic?
Sometimes. Beeswax is potentially pore-clogging, so we read it as one to use with caution. Plenty of people use it without trouble; if you're actively treating acne, it's worth watching.
Why we read it this way
Beeswax is the wax honeybees make to build their comb, used in cosmetics to thicken creams, give balms and sticks their firmness, and leave a protective film that slows water loss. We read it as one to use with caution, flagged but not among the highest.
The nuance
Appears on several pore-clogging lists, but is widely used at low levels without issue. Worth watching in heavy balms.
Where it shows up
Lipsticks, lip balms, mascaras and brow waxes, along with salves, cleansing balms, solid perfumes, sunscreen sticks and thick barrier creams. Labels often list it as Cera Alba.
Names we read the same way
- Cera Alba (Beeswax)
Related ingredients
One ingredient rarely tells the whole story. The acne ingredient checker reads everything in a product at once, the pore-clogging ingredients list has the rest of what we flag, and there is more on what comedogenic means. Also in the guides: The types of acne lesions.